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Recorded on Sunday, 7th of November 1909.
Caruso created the role of Don José in the Grand Opera House in San Francisco a few hours before the 1906 earthquake - on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The opera house, founded in 1874, was totally destroyed.
Here is Caruso's account of the earthquake: www.sfmuseum.ne...
More about Carmen: en.wikipedia.o...
LYRICS
La fleur que tu m'avais jetée,
Dans ma prison m'était restée,
Flétrie et sèche, cette fleur,
Gardait toujours sa douce odeur.
Et pendant des heures entières,
Sur mes yeux, fermant mes paupières,
Des ces agaces, je m'enivrais
Et dans la nuit, je te voyais!
Je me prenais à te maudire,
A te detester, à me dire:
"Pourquoi faut-il que le destin
L'ait misé-là sur mon chemin?"
Puis, je m'accussais de blasphème,
Et je ne sentais, en moi-même,
Je ne sentais, qu'un seul désir,
Un seul désir, un seul espoir,
Te revoir, o Carmen, oui, te revoir!
Car tu n'avais eu qu'à paraître
Qu'à jeter un regard sur moi,
Pour t'emparer de tout mon être.
O ma Carmen!
Et j'étais une chose à toi!
Carmen, je t'aime!
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
The flower which you have thrown me,
I kept with me inside my prison,
Withered and dry, this flower,
Hath always retained its sweet smell,
And throughout the entire hours,
I would close my eyes and sniff it,
I would get drunk with this smell,
And during the night, I had visions of you!
I began to curse you,
To detest you, asking myself:
“O why has destiny placed
The flower upon my shirt?”
Then, I accused myself of blasphemy,
And I felt within myself naught,
Save one single desire,
one single desire, one single hope,
To see thee again, O Carmen, to see thee again!
For you had only to appear afore me,
And to throw one glance at me,
To take possession of my whole being.
O my Carmen!
And I was thy chattel!
Carmen, I love you!